Complacency, The Sin of Settling Spiritually
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Intro; One of the greatest benefits of living in America is the freedom of religion we enjoy and the security of our nation by our armed forces. One of the downsides to living in America is becoming “complacent” in religion and dependent on our government to maintain that security we enjoy.
[Illus.] In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1946, there is ample evidence that Japan was preparing for war and the “complacency” of FDR and the government did not take action to prepare the naval station to be on alert.
FDR's declassified FBI file, the Office of Naval Intelligence on December 4 warned, "In anticipation of open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii."
[Pearl Harbor was at ease without fear of attack nor on alert from credible warnings]
The 9/11 Commission Report that was released in August of 2004, following a 3 year investigation into the intelligence communities failure to recognize threats of terrorism makes this statement;
A Shock, Not a Surprise;
The 9/11 attacks were a shock, but they should not have come as a surprise. Islamist extremists had given plenty of warning that they meant to kill Americans indiscriminately and in large numbers. Although Usama Bin Ladin himself would not emerge as a signal threat until the late 1990s, the threat of Islamist terrorism grew over the decade. During the spring and summer of 2001, U.S. intelligence agencies received a stream of warnings that al Qaeda planned, as one report put it, "something very, very, very big." Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet told us, "The system was blinking red."
The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were far more elaborate, precise, and destructive than any of these earlier assaults. But by September 2001, the executive branch of the U.S. government, the Congress, the news media, and the American public had received clear warning that Islamist terrorists meant to kill Americans in high numbers.
Again, our nation became “complacent” and lost the edge of being prepared for the ensuing attack of the enemy.
Complacency- a self-satisfied state of negligence or carelessness, to curdle like cheese [lump of sour milk]
This morning I want to talk about “Complacency, The Sin of Settling Spiritually”
Text; Amos 6:1-8
1 Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes!
2 Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?
3 Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall;
5 Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
6 Who drink wine from bowls, And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.
8 The Lord God has sworn by Himself, The Lord God of hosts says: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city And all that is in it.”
1. Complacency Breeds Presumption/Pride; 1-2
1. Complacency Breeds Presumption/Pride; 1-2
The word “ease” can be used in a positive or negative sense.
Positive ease means a rest or at peace in the Lord.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Negative “ease” means that one is “complacent”
12 “And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’
Both Judah and Samaria had become complacent in their spiritual walk. They felt secure because of their nation’s military and economic strength.
Both Zion [Jerusalem] and Samaria were built on mountains that were fortified cities that were hard, maybe thought impregnable by their enemies. Both also believed because they were God’s people they were perpetually protected by Him. But they were wrong!
Amos tells them to look at three cities greater and stronger and see what happened to them. They all fell at the hands of the Assyrians and so would Israel.
The Sin of Presumption and Pride is believing you can trust in the flesh while playing church with God!
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
2. Complacency Brings Procrastination; 3
2. Complacency Brings Procrastination; 3
Procrastination is putting off till tomorrow what you need to do today!
What you are today you will be tomorrow unless there is a change, and that change comes by trusting God.
For generations Israel had been warned of the coming judgment of God upon the nation for their sin. And they continued to put off repentance and turning back to the LORD.
It even says here that they were inviting “the seat of violence to come near” because they continued in their sin not thinking God would judge them.
Procrastination is one of Satans nets that he traps so many people in.
25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”
26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
Felix never repented that we know of and there are many today who are still procrastinating about salvation.
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),
2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
3. Complacency Feeds the Flesh; 4-6
3. Complacency Feeds the Flesh; 4-6
Amos charges Israel with the sin of self-indulgence, feeding their fleshy desires while ignoring the needs of others and the affliction of the nation as a whole.
[4] Lying and stretching out on beds of ivory points to the sexual appetite of the rich and famous. They ate the best food while others suffered and starved around them
[5] They made up songs about themselves imagining to be like king David. The only problem was that David wrote and sang songs to honor the LORD, while they wrote and sang songs to their own praise.
[6] They overindulged themselves in drinking. They didn’t use cups but bowls to drink wine in. And they focused upon the beauty of their body instead of the “affliction of Joseph”.
Remember when Amos called Israel “Jacob”, that was a play on words referring to his old nature. He is called “Jacob” when functioning in his carnal old nature, but he is called “Israel” when he is acting out of his new nature.
Using the phrase “the affliction of Joseph” should remind them of the affliction and agony of the family of Jacob caused by the fleshly sin of Joseph’s brothers as they sold him into slavery. The nation is on the brink of destruction but they were preoccupied with selfish desires and fleshly indulgence!
Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die! Its all about women, wine and song!
18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
America is on the brink of destruction economically and spiritually and we are preoccupied with self!
4. Complacency is Costly; 7-8
4. Complacency is Costly; 7-8
Amos tells them that those who are fallen in the sins we discussed will be the first ones to be carried away captive and all they thought that would save them will perish with them.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Close;
If you’re a Christian that has fallen into the sin of complacency, your in dangerous territory. You have settled for less than God’s best and have quit growing in the grace of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. You have an insensitive spirit and an irresponsible attitude if you think God can’t use you or you don’t want to work for the One who saved you anymore.
14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
If your not a Christian this morning, your beyond dangerous territory, you are dead! You are dead in your sin and you don’t even know it. You are sour milk that has sat under the preaching of the gospel over and over that has become a lump of curd. And being complacent in your sin means unless you awake and repent, there is no hope for you!
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
This morning I’ve given ample evidence through God’s Word that judgment is coming. Don’t be Complacent and settle where you are. Come to Jesus!